Study shows about one-third of Hispanic households caring for elderly family members

MINNEAPOLIS A study released Monday from UnitedHealth Group’s Evercare organization and the National Alliance for Caregiving found that more than one third of Hispanic households (36 percent) have at least one family member caring for an older loved one—a larger percentage than all U.S. caregiving households (21 percent), according to the Evercare Study of Hispanic Caregiving in the United States.

The participants of the study indicated that additional resources and tools—in Spanish—are necessary to help them care for their loved ones. As many as 73 percent of Hispanic caregivers think it is very or somewhat important that caregiving information be provided in Spanish, with 56 percent who say it is very important. And 80 percent of Hispanic caregivers indicated training sessions that teach caregiving skills would be helpful, while more than seven in 10 would find online training in caregiving skills to be helpful.

“Family caregivers are an essential part of our health care system yet very often they need additional training and support for the critical role they play,” Ana Fuentevilla, medical director for Evercare/ Ovations National Support Team, said.

The study found that diabetes afflicting their loved one is the top health condition for which Hispanics become caregivers—twice the number of those who said old age, cancer or arthritis are the health conditions most affecting their care recipients. Diabetes in the Hispanic population is a growing concern, a 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national examination survey indicated that Mexican Americans are twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician—and that they are 50 percent more likely to die from diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. Additionally, the Evercare/NAC Study found that 23 percent of Hispanics said their loved one also was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.